Order of Merit Service

Lucky they had this engagement scheduled for today, because the world - the hysteria-prone social media world, specifically - apparently required evidence that Prince Philip is still kicking. What I wouldn't give for his take on the panic that followed leaked news of a staff meeting at Buckingham Palace this morning, including people speculating that news of The Duke's death was imminent (despite all this occurring just hours after he'd been in fine form on an engagement yesterday).

Royal Family

So yes, the big news today is that the 95-year-old Duke of Edinburgh will retire from public duties in the autumn. I'd say that's a well-deserved rest for a man that's logged 22,191 solo engagements since 1952, according to the palace. In the mean time, he's still got it: